The Top 10 to-dos for the Final Home Buyer Walk-Through

Lisa Curlett August 2, 2019

You’ve found your dream home, and at last, you’ve made it to the Final walk-through, also known as the second to last step in becoming the new owners of your property! It’s like the rehearsal dinner before the wedding or the baccalaureate service before the graduation. You’re almost to the finish line. And what better time than now to discuss this exciting subject since home closings are at their highest in the months of July and August.

In terms of logistics, most final walk-throughs are scheduled for the evening before or the morning of the closing. Which timeframe you choose is mostly dependent on the schedules of the parties, the time of the closing, and when the seller has officially moved out of the house. The final walk-through can take anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours, with most of them taking about 30 minutes to an hour. When you get to your almost next home for the walk-through, you’ll usually find yourself in the company of your buyer’s agent and the listing agent. The seller typically doesn’t attend.

So when you find yourself at this almost final step to buying your home, here are the top 10 to-dos to keep in mind:

Review the Purchase & Sale Agreement (P&S) prior to your arrival at the walk-through as a reminder of what the seller agreed to repair, address, and leave with the property.
Make sure any inspection issues have been properly resolved.
Check that there isn’t any water in the basement or any other damage to the property that you haven’t seen or about which you haven’t been made aware.
Confirm the inclusions are still at the property and that anything you’ve asked to be removed is no longer there.
Ensure everything has been removed from the attic, storage areas, drawers, cabinets, closets, etc.
Confirm the house is “Broom Clean” (click here to learn about what “Broom Clean” really means).
Make sure the air conditioning and/or heating system, depending on the season, is working.
Confirm the seller has left keys to the house and garage door openers.
Run the water in the faucets, and flush the toilets.
Look for any instructions and/or warranties to appliances and house systems that the seller said s/he would leave for you.

If you run into issues with any of the above final walk-through to-dos, consult with your buyer’s agent and your real estate attorney. Together they will help get everything resolved one way or another prior to the closing. And then Happy New Home! Yay! 🙌🏻😄

What are your thoughts on the final home buyer walk-through? When you were buying your house, did you do any of these to-dos during the final walk through or were there other ones you completed? I can’t wait to hear.